Pivot-Fest!!

As a new Pivot M6 owner I must admit I nearly bought a Knolly Warden. One of the things that made me stoked about that bike was the Knoly community and in particular the Knolly-fest gatherings they were having.

The main reason I ride MTBs is for the stoke...hanging out with my friends...rolling around the forest hooting and hollering then drinking beer afterwards.

Despite the Warden shaping up to be an amazing bike a variety of factors led me to buy a couple M6's and I'd love to see something along the lines of Pivot-Fest happening for folks with these bikes to congregate and socialize in the flesh.

So my first question is does the Pivot community have any brand related gatherings and if so what are they?

In case you were not aware I believe that first weekend in October is Outerbike in Moab. Maybe that is what you intended. Might be cool because the Pivot demo fleet will be there. Might be able to arrange a Pivot happy hour with the demo crew one of the first Outerbike evenings like Wednesday or Thursday.

I might recommend earlier just to increase the odds The Whole Enchilada is an available ride option. I attended Outerbike this past year and they had gotten snow the weekend before. They had the upper section closed up until that next Thursday when my group luckily had scheduled to do it. That Thursday night it snowed again and the word was they closed it down again and there was a good chance they wouldn't reopen it for the rest of the year. No idea if that actually happened but just shows the potential for snow to rob you of that opportunity that time of year.

We've actually discussed organizing some sort of get together, just a matter of figuring out how to organize it/where to meet up/camp or hotel?/etc...So many details and we wouldn't want to go in unprepared. We're still looking into it, I have some ideas that could be cool. Fortunately we have some of the best winter weather in the country so it's easy to schedule it during the "off season". Getting warm quick this year so nothing will happen anytime soon.

I might recommend earlier just to increase the odds The Whole Enchilada is an available ride option. I attended Outerbike this past year and they had gotten snow the weekend before. They had the upper section closed up until that next Thursday when my group luckily had scheduled to do it. That Thursday night it snowed again and the word was they closed it down again and there was a good chance they wouldn't reopen it for the rest of the year. No idea if that actually happened but just shows the potential for snow to rob you of that opportunity that time of year.

Thanks I'll give it some thought. I'm aware of the issue of snow at the top of the WE. It's a trade off. I know for a lot of folks the local riding is great in September so planning a "desert get away" at that point is far less appealing than once you are into October.

Very true. I'm not sure how common it is for Moab to get snow that early either. Down here in Tucson October and November is primetime when we are ramping up the riding again after hiding from the heat for the past 3-4 months.

We'll be staying at the Cannyon Lands Campground which is in the centre of town and walkable to lots of services. Reasonable rates with tent & RV sites plus cabins for those that want real walls.

We can have campfires which is nice for a group trip!

The campground is stumbling distance from The Red Stone Inn in and the Big Horn Lodge if you want a hotel room.

Rides

We'll organize a group ride + shuttle for each day starting fairly early [10am] to allow for a shorter 2nd ride in the afternoon for folks that are so inclined.

I'll work out a schedule for the rides, but we'll hit the top trails.

To ride with the group you'll need to be a solid advanced intermediate rider and capable of riding technical rocky trails. Folks with lesser skills or wanting an easier day can do their own thing and meet up with the group for post-ride beers.

Ride pace will be social so you don't have to be a 2% body fat hammerhead to have fun.

Group Meals

We'll pick a dinner spot each night for the group. You can skip it if you want, but it will provide an option to get together and share a meal for folks that want to.

Evening Social

Think camp fire, some music and your beverage of choice. Lies will be told. Plans will be made. Bikes will be oggled. Money will probably be spent via Wifi while willpower is at its lowest!

Waiver

- there will be a mandatory liability waiver to sign
- this is not a guided trip
- just a bunch of Pivot bike enthusiasts gathering to ride together
- so participate at your own risk

What's the consensus on trails / loops? I've been to moab twice but never done Capt Ahab for example. Fruita or Grand Junction versus so many days in Moab ? (Yes I have a Pivot!)

INTERMEDIATE RIDES

MOAB BRAND TRAILS: Close to town this area has both beginner and intermediate rides. For intermediate singletrack options check out Bar B, Rockin’ A, Circle O, Deadman’s Ridge and Long Branch. Experts can check out Killer B.

PIPEDREAM: New singletrack right in town! This ride is loaded with technical switchbacks, tight turns, rock ramps, and moderate exposure. Do as an out and back or loop it on the road, 7-10 miles depending on route options.

MAGNIFICENT 7 aka “MAG 7″: This trail has quickly become a local favorite. Grab a shuttle and start from Gemini Bridges Trail head off Hwy 313. Jump on the singletrack at Bull Run and enjoy this mix of technical and fast flowly. End with the optional expect section or cruise out passed the Gooney Bird.

KLONDIKE NORTH TRAIL SYSTEM: North of the classic Klondike ride this area is exploding with new trails. Get your cardio workout in on EKG, this trail has lots of slickrock ups and downs. Turn EKG into a loop by adding Little Salty and Mega Steps. For fast singletrack check out Dino-flow.

POISON SPIDER MESA: A great winter ride or after a rain storm. Sand and “slickrock”, awesome views. This ride is considered intermediate as an out and back. For more extreme excitement come down the Portal Trail singletrack to make the ride a loop.

SOVEREIGN SINGLETRACK: Brand new desert singletrack. We love this ride! Rocks, ledges, sand. Moderately technical and totally fun. Winding, fast singletrack spiced with some climbs and some slickrock riding. Killer Views of the La Sals. Be sure to stay on the trail… this ride has lots of healthy crypto-biotic soil- fragile desert top soil that looks a whole lot better with no tire tracks through it!

ADVANCED/EXPERT RIDES

AMASA BACK/Captain Ahab: This is Moab locals favorite for good reason. Amasa Back has it all … This trail features ledges, dirt and “slickrock” riding with fantastic views. Ride it right from the shop with a scenic warm-up out Kane Creek Road.

SLICKROCK: People come from all over to try the world famous Slickrock Trail. It’s smooth and steep with natural bowls. Grippy sandstone allows you to try really steep moves. Freestylers love the natural half pipes and “kickers”. This unique ride put Moab at the forefront of the mountain biking scene.

PORCUPINE RIM: Show of hands, please. How many of you out there call this your favorite ride of all time? It’s fun, fun and more fun. A little ledgy climbing and loads of technical descending. It’s classic Moab riding. Shuttles available from Poison Spider Bikes daily throughout the season.

WHOLE ENCHILADA: This ride will push you to your limit but with a smile the whole way. Reserve a shuttle to take you up to the La Sal Mountains where you’ll start pedaling and top out at 11,000′. Then the descent starts and does not end until you hit the River Road at 4,000′. Along the way don’t miss the turns for Burro Pass, Hazard Trail, Kokopeli Trail, UPS, LPS and Porcupine Rim. Definitely want to gear and fuel up for this one.

- Whole Enchilada
- Magnificent 7
- Slickrock [ideally as a 2nd ride on a day we are feeling energetic]
- Sovereign
- Porcupine Rim on its own

I'm open to holding a poll or whatever group think method best captures the rides folks want to hit and I'm not opposed hitting awesome trails more than once so we can nail the flow better.

I don't want to move locations out of Moab.

1. there is a ton of world class riding to do there so we won't run out or get bored
2. coordinating a bunch of people moving between locations and sorting out accommodations is not fun
3. the goal of this event to ride bikes and hang out...the less we drive/move the more of that we can do

I'll be coming at Moab from the South so I'm going to hit Gooseberry Mesa on my way to Moab. Anyone that wants to get in on that is welcome to and depending how you are getting out of Moab you could take 2-3 days and hit some other riding destination if that floats your boat.

I spent 3 weeks in Sedona at X'mas and I was just hitting my stride. I could have spent 6 weeks there and still found new trails or ways to link things up that was fresh.

Assuming Pivot riders dig the idea of an annual fall desert get together I think moving it around to a different spot each year for variety is a great idea.

- my GF will be coming
- she's a decent ripper
- but she also likes to ride with ladies and runs ladies only rides at home
- so if you are a lady or you want to bring your lady - go for it
- this will be a female friendly event
- we'll keep the testosterone and language in check [when ladies are present]
- if there are enough ladies [say 4 or more we'll sort out some ladies only riding options on some of the days]

To ride with the group everyone will need solid tech skills, but the pace will be social so slower riders won't be punished.

I'll ride with a DSLR so if the front of the group gets too far ahead we'll just session something fun and create some MTB porn.

This is sounding really interesting, I'll put it on my calendar and see if I can pull it off. I was also at Outerbike last year and was hoping to go again in 2014, just not sure if I can swing the extra time to fit both. Maybe Outerbike, then Park City for a few days and back to Moab??? Who needs to work anyway!
Thanks for organizing, Vik!

Ha ha. So true. I just got back from the Hurricane MTB Festival and only rode one demo because I already had the perfect bike for the rides I did (plus I'd already ordered my complement bike and had ridden everything else I was interested in).

Looks like a great time vikb. You're making me jealous. As a fairly frequent Moab visitor I'd do the new North Klondike stuff over Sovereign if you want one "Moab XC" ride.

The rest of your ride list looks solid. (PS: the best way to finish off Mag 7 is with blue . and Portal )

Oh, and very cool video and awesome rider. I'd seen the time lapsed building part of theat vid before but not the ride sequence. I totally missed some of those drop options that Kyle hit... I'll have to watch for them next time I'm down there.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...or something like that. At least be unique and come up with a better name.

Oh and remember to get some cool shirts and pint glasses made for the event I can tell you that an event like this takes a lot of preparation and scheduling, especially if you are dealing with shuttling or being sure everyone rides together. Keep in mind that you may have people who have never been to Moab and need guidance, you need to be prepared to deal with whatever situation arises, injuries, mechanicals, slower riders, etc. Also consider where you might eat, Moab will be packed that time of year, I had trouble getting seating for 2 people, let alone 20. A good deal of planning ahead, like securing the shuttles ahead of time, restaurant reservations, hotel group rates will make thing much smoother and everyone will have a much better time. I'm not a subscriber to the "wing it and see what happens". For Knollfest I had very distinct schedules so everyone knew what they were riding that day, the required gear, and which bike. I think what has made Knollfest so successful is that the riders show up and ride, they have nothing else to worry about. Everything was handled for them so they could sit back and enjoy. I tried to schedule things so that we had the most "together" time, as you all know, this is what really makes the event.

You mean Knolly-Fest was the first event to add "fest" to the end of a brand/location/sogan??

Thanks for the tips!

I spent 10yrs in the Army as an officer running various organizations and projects...then spent the last 20yrs as a professional project manager.

My girlfriend who is coming along is a registered nurse and runs several departments at a hospital.

We can organize a small event no problem...

I'm not getting overly concerned with the details at this point because I don't anticipate more than a handful of people showing up for the first edition. Should that change we'll kick things into the appropriate gear to meet the needs of the people that are coming. If interest was really high we'd cap things at a level that we felt was reasonable - especially given we be meeting for the first time.